April 2017

Did you Know?

The fundamental principles of human rights are embedded in the EU founding treaties, which were reinforced by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights adopted in 2000 [2012 amendment], and then strengthened when the Charter became legally binding with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

EDC News: EU and Human Rights

The principles of Human Rights are the basis of EU policies and legislations, and guide its growth.

“The EU is based on the values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.” (Source: EC Justice)

In September 1953, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe, was put into force. The Convention, in turn, lead to the establishment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The ECtHR hears applications alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights provisions concerning civil and political rights set out in the Convention and its protocols. An application can be lodged by an individual, a group of individuals or one or more of the other contracting states, and, besides judgments, the Court can also issue advisory opinions.

In addition to the establishment of the ECtHR and following the Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy, the EU has made considerable progress in improving the impact of its actions on human rights and democracy. This was done through the development of guidelines on key human rights issues, enhancing the effectiveness of bilateral human rights and democracy work, and improving the mainstreaming of human rights across the EU's external action.

For more information:

• Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union: Preparatory work; Implementation – Including rights relating to dignity; freedoms; equality; solidarity; citizens' rights; justice; general provisions

• European Convention on Human rights by European Court of Human Rights (HUDOC)

• Eur-Lex legislation summaries:

  • Fundamental rights within the European Union – including fundamental rights frame work; dignity; equality; citizen’s rights and justice

  • Human rights in non-EU countries – includes guidelines on human rights; promoting human rights in non-EU countries; Children’s rights and annual reports

• Human rights and democracy, EU External Action

• Sample of EU official publications accessed from EU Bookshop (download free of charge):

  • Human rights in Iran after the nuclear deals

  • Implementation of the UN guiding principles on business and human rights

  • The effects of human rights clauses in the EU-Mexico global agreement and EU-Chile association agreement

  • Human rights provisions in Economic Partnership Agreements in light of the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement in 2020

  • Improving access to remedy in the area of business and human rights at the EU level

  • Prison conditions in the Member States

  • Combating violence against women - Cyprus

• Sample Eurostat statistics relating to Human Rights:

  • Quality of life indicators - governance and basic rights

  • Disability statistics - poverty and income inequalities

  • Gender statistics

  • Statistics on enforcement of immigration legislation

  • Sustainable development - broader horizon

• Search in the European Central Library